


Coming Back to Reality

by redcameleon



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, SSFF, SasuSaku - Freeform, ssfanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:22:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25912030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redcameleon/pseuds/redcameleon
Summary: An alternate story where after Naruto and Sasuke’s fight at the end of the war, Sakura couldn’t wake up from Sasuke’s genjutsu. But Sasuke was determined to bring her back.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke
Kudos: 38





	Coming Back to Reality

**Author's Note:**

> has some angst in here, but i promise the ending will make up for it :)

It’s over. It’s finally over. The war, and whatever animosity Sasuke has been harboring, Naruto was able to lift them from him, providing him with an exit and a new beginning.

The morning glory has begun to rise, basking them in the warm rays that hold promises of a bright future. They are both bleeding, alive, but exhausted to the point that moving a muscle would cause this immense pain to reverberate through their whole body. Their body may be broken, but their bond has never been stronger.

Just a few meters away, their faithful mentor steps closer and crouches between them, feet careful not to touch the pool of blood. 

“Kakashi sensei!” Naruto greets him with his ever-bright smile that can blind anyone. Sasuke hides his face away from his former mentor, guilt and shame written all over it.

“Sasuke.”

“Kakashi.” He finally looks at him. Kakashi notices the faint trail of dried tears from the corner of his eyes. All he can see right now is his silent apology, his guilt, his regrets, his gratitude.

Kakashi’s face softens as he unclips one of his pockets to retrieve some bandages. He begins to wrap them around the boys’ decapitated limb and manages to stop the bleeding somehow. They’re going to be all right after all.

“Where’s Sakura-chan?” Kakashi’s face turns from relief, to utter sorrow. He looks at Sasuke first then Naruto before speaking.

“She’s still trapped in the genjutsu.”

Sasuke doesn’t get it. She should be able to break the genjutsu by now. After all, he himself have admitted that Sakura’s genjutsu know-how is one of the most improved in their team, second to his. Then why isn’t she waking up?

Kakashi carefully props them up, and with heavy steps they stagger back to where Sakura was left. She’s leaning on a large boulder with her head dipping to the side, her messy pink locks covering her face. An oblivious passerby would think she’s in a deep peaceful slumber.

Sasuke crouches beside her and tilts her head to get a better view of her face. 

_Release!_ Nothing. 

_Release!_ Still nothing. He focuses whatever chakra he has left to slip his mind into her subconscious.

“Hey Sasuke, what are you trying to do?” Naruto is already getting restless, but Kakashi reassures him by placing his hand on his shoulder.

“Trust him.”

Meanwhile, Sasuke’s mind has landed on the battlefield, the same place they are in. The only difference is, he can see no one except for Sakura. She’s sitting on the ground, knees pulled close to her chest, her back facing his view and he can see a pool of blood around her. There’s nothing around them besides the dark night, but there is somehow an eerie feeling encasing him. He merely just stands there, observing her from a distance.

As if sensing his presence, she speaks with such softness that his ears can barely pick it up. 

“Sasuke-kun? Why are you here?” He doesn’t respond, rather he approaches her slowly.

“Sakura.” His voice is low, careful not to scare her. He scans her from behind and notes the stream of blood coming from the gaping hole in her chest. 

He calls her once more. She finally stands and turns around to face him.

“Look at this! This is what you’ve done!” She gestures to the hole right where her heart should be, cheeks wet from the tears. “You- you killed me. I’m supposed to be dead by your hands.” 

He takes a step closer.

“Don’t go near me!” She takes a step back.

“Sakura.” His eyes soften, melting her entire being. _Kami_ how can he look at her like that and expect her to back away from him.

“What do you want?” She turns her head, attempting to hide her emotions when the tears start to build up again.

“Come back to us.”

“Why?” He doesn’t respond. “Why should I? How do I even know that you’re real?” She gestures to him.

“I am.” 

“Then what have you done to Naruto? Did you…” She pauses. They both know what the rest of the words are, but she finishes it anyway. “Kill him?” Sasuke looks away from her.

“No.” She’s at least able to let out a sigh of relief knowing that her boys are okay. She doesn’t notice though that Sasuke has taken a step closer to her.

“Stop.” She holds out her hand to separate them.

“Sakura.” He pauses, as if unsure of what he is going to say. But no, he _does_ know what to say. And he _needs_ to say it.

“I’m sorry… For everything.” 

“Sasuke-” He abruptly closes his eyes, exhaustion washing over him. His head feels like its been hammered a million times, his chakra running low. He opens his eyes to find that he’s back with Naruto and Kakashi.

“Sasuke! What’s wrong?!” Concern still laced in Naruto’s voice.

“She’s still there.” 

“Then what the _heck_ are you doing? You have to bring her back!”

“I can’t.” His voice is soft, almost desperate. _Not yet._ “Right now, we need to dispel the infinite tsukuyomi. We’ll take her to the village and figure something out.” It is clear that Naruto is against the idea of leaving Sakura alone in an illusion. But he knows they need to rescue the others first.

Sighing, they both weave the sign and dispel the jutsu.

.

.

“How is she?” Naruto stands beside the hospital bed, clasping her hand with the only arm left from his last duel.

“She’s stable, her brain still shows activity. We’re just hoping for the best that she will break out of the genjutsu.” The Legendary Sannin tries to sound optimistic, despite failing to do so.

Leaning on the wall, Sasuke curses himself for his rather impulsive decision. Had he known this was the outcome, he’d just knock her right out. That would’ve been better.

He pushes himself from the wall, making his way to her side.

She lies on the hospital bed, motionless, with several machines hooked up to her, monitoring her brain activities and her heart beats.

He notices how she looks so.. peaceful. The room is thick with despair, with a single thread of hope tying them together.

“We should leave Sakura to rest, first.” Kakashi tries to reassure them that it’s all going to be okay, despite knowing that his attempt in doing so will not dissipate their worries. With a heavy heart, they all leave the room, leaving Sasuke alone with her.

Sasuke pulls a chair from the corner and sits next to her. His eyes roam on her pale face. He grabs her limp hand in his and brushes his thumb over her knuckles, feeling the scars and scratches that adorn her skin.

He tries to even his breathing before entering her mind again. Soon, he is back on the battlefield. 

Sakura is leaning against a boulder with that same annoying gaping hole on her chest that keeps spilling blood. _How is blood constantly flowing from there?_ Sasuke wonders how it’s physically impossible.

“It’s so quiet in here.” She speaks, her voice soft as a feather. Her eyes keep staring to thin air.

“Sakura, come home.” 

“Why? I know you think of me as an annoyance.”

“We need you.” She turns her head and faces him.

“You hate me.” 

“No.” He curtly dismisses her statement. She doesn’t respond for a while. “Come back.” His face is almost pleading, and it confuses her. Why is he asking her to come back when he is trying to push her away?

He steps closer, but she doesn’t move away. More like, she doesn’t have the energy to.

“Sakura. I’m sorry.” This is the second time he says this.

“I know.” She sighs. “I forgive you. I love you so much, Sasuke-kun.” Her sparkling eyes show so much emotion that it overwhelms him, making his knees shake and his palms sweaty. She closes her eyes and a tear manages to spill over. He hates seeing her broken like this. He just wants to gather her in his arms, and pull herself back together. He just wants to see her smile again, the way she used to smile at him back when they were still so innocent. Her breathing has grown more erratic, as if she’s fighting the urge to broke into a sob.

“But it’s too painful knowing that you don’t feel the same.” She finally manages to say.

 _That’s not true!_ He screams in his mind. Why is it so hard when it comes to expressing his feelings to her? Frustration gnaws at him, at his incompetence.

“Sakura, I-” his hands start to fade and before he realizes it, he’s pulled out of her mind.

 _Shit._ He fists his hands, rage beginning to build up at the tips of his fingers. _Why can’t I just convince her to come back? Why can’t I just tell her how I feel? Why am I so weak?_

.

.

The following days are not as progressive as he wants them to be. He tries to talk to her every day, but only limited by the incapability of his mind to stay there as long as he wants. He realizes, the Yamanaka clan does a better job than him. But even Ino cannot convince her. She claims, “Sakura wants to stay there so she doesn’t have to watch you walk away again from her life for the second time.” 

What makes her think he will? Does she have so little faith in him?

“Let me talk to her.” Sasuke demands, his voice more determined than ever as Ino nods and connects him with her.

He approaches her without warning, threading forward with confident steps and sits next to her.

“You said you’ll make me happy.” Entire taken aback from his sudden outburst, she can’t help but question him. “You said if I stay with you, we’ll always be happy.”

Now she remembers what he’s talking about. That night. The night he left the village, the promises she made to him. He remembers them.

“You said to take you with me.”

“Mm hm.” Sakura hums in response. She isn’t sure where the conversation is going, but she tries to follow.

“I am leaving Konoha.” He watches her face turn to utter horror and her eyes begin to sparkle again.

“No matter what, I can’t seem to convince you to stay.” she turns her head away from him to hide her tears that are threatening to spill again. All she can do is just cry in front of him. _How pathetic._

“I want to know how the shinobi world, how this current world looks to the current me. I need to redeem myself.”

She feels her whole world crumbling beneath her feet. Even though they just won the war, it feels like she’ll never truly be happy. Not without him.

“But I want you to come with me.” Hearing this, she quickly turns to face him, her expression silently asking for him to clarify.

“Come with me, Sakura.” She wipes the tears from her eyes and stares at him, eyes filled with wonder. A certain feeling starts to bubble inside his heart.

“Are you being serious?” Without a doubt, he extends his hand towards her, opening his palm. She stares at it for a good second, before slowly extending her own hand. She places her hand on top of his as he intertwines their fingers together.

At that moment, relief washes over him as he finally does something right for her. The radiant smile emitting from her is enough for him. He doesn’t want it to ever leave her. For once, his heart is beating for someone else. For once his heart is filled with emotions other than grief and rage. For once he can feel himself finding happiness again.

_Release!_


End file.
